Latest news with #RodMoore
USA Today
23-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF says Rod Moore's return at safety will strengthen Michigan's defense in 2025 season
Something just wasn't right for the first two-thirds of the season for the Michigan football defense in 2024. There were lapses made, big passing plays, and while the defense would stand tall for two downs, it allowed drives to be extended by the better offenses they faced. To some degree, PFF thinks that the Wolverines have what they need to keep that from happening again in 2025. The reason that analyst Dalton Wasserman gave on the Michigan preview on the PFF college football podcast wasn't just more familiarity to the college game for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale or the bevy of players expected to rotate up front. No, it's a returning player in Rod Moore, who missed all of last season due to tearing his ACL in spring ball. "I'm excited to see him back, too, to free safety," Wasserman said. "I think this year (he's) gonna be the glue that holds the secondary together. He missed last year because he tore his ACL in the spring. But the two previous years, per PFF's wins above average metric, he was the second most valuable safety in college football six interceptions over those two years big part of their national championship-winning team in 2023. Just to see him back on the field, because I think Michigan, last year, you could see it with him out and with Keon (Sabb) transferring to Alabama, and a little more of a struggle covering over the middle of the field. On the outside, they were still great with Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill, those corners that they always have going there at Michigan, but struggled over the middle. "I think Rod Moore is gonna be a big piece of fixing that problem. He's got great recovery speed. He's got good eyes back there and as long as he can run like he used to before the torn ACL, I think Wink Martindale is gonna have a lot of fun playing a lot of single-high with Rod Moore back at free safety." The big question for Moore is whether or not he can return fully healthy. He told The Wolverine on Monday that he's up to 80-85% healthy at this juncture, but being healthy and capable of returning to full game speed and instinct is a completely different thing altogether. If Moore does take some time to get going, the Wolverines are excited about many of the options they have at safety as it is. Brandyn Hillman, Mason Curtis, TJ Metcalf, Tevis Metcalf, and Jaden Mangham are all strong options for the maize and blue in the middle of the secondary, even if Moore is healthy and ready to go. Michigan is set to begin fall camp on July 29 with eyes on the season opener on August 30 against New Mexico at The Big House.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
EA Sports College Football 26 brings Michigan's Mr. Brightside tradition to life
EA Sports has gone all in on making its newly released (deluxe edition on Monday, regular edition on July 10) College Football 26 property closer and closer to the actual game day experience. That includes more control over the players, the coaches being in the game, as well as school traditions. And though it's a newly adopted tradition in Ann Arbor, one of the favorites among fans is the singing of The Killers song, 'Mr. Brightside,' between the third and fourth quarters. And yeah, that's in the game. A clip made its way onto X (formerly Twitter) of the newly included tradition in the video game property, and it's complete with the fans singing along, including the final line of the chorus being cut out while the singing continues. Check it out: That definitely enhances the realism. What is unrealistic, potentially, however, is the game being 7-0 against rival Michigan State entering the fourth quarter -- not just because Michigan has a slim lead, but because both teams tend to score a bit more than that by that time in the game. The Wolverines have four players in the top 100 of the game with safety Rod Moore leading the charge, then edge rusher Derrick Moore, left guard Giovanni El-Hadi, and defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Rod Moore, SAF, Michigan
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Vikings fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Minnesota. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Vikings, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Vikings fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Rod Moore School: Michigan Height/Weight: 6-0/198 lbs. Player Background - 4-Star Recruit - Earned All-State Honors in High School - Recorded a 4.38 40-Yard Dash in High School - Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2023 Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 141 Tackles - 3 Tackles for a Loss - 0.5 Sacks - 6 Interceptions - 7 Pass Deflections Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 80.7 PFF Run Defense Grade - 71.4 PFF Pass Coverage Grade - Missed Tackle Rate of 9.4% - 30 Defensive Stops Player Traits - Excellent closing speed on receivers once QB locks on - Good ability to square up runners in open field - Good range at the safety position in the run and pass game - Physical tackler who will fight to get ball carrier to the ground - Will fight through blockers to get to the ball Player Summary Rod Moore will be coming off a torn ACL when the season for Michigan kicks off this fall. While he has no 2024 film to watch, his 2023 film shows flashes of a player who can be a difference-maker on defense, regardless of where he is assigned. Moore shows an extensive range to be able to provide support in both the run and pass game, and can square up with the ball carrier when they meet him in the open field. When he makes contact, you see him send runners back, and it reminds them to avoid him. Same when he hits receivers when he shows his closing speed in the passing game. He has some areas to improve, but the foundation is there for a reliable safety player in a deep class.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report: Rod Moore, SAF, Michigan
Summer is here, and it is everyone's favorite time of the year, scouting time. Every year, we do Summer Scouting to preview college football for Bucs fans, but also give them an idea of names to follow and watch in the fall as needs pop up for Tampa Bay. Are we going to write about quarterbacks? You know it, but why? Because other NFL teams will draft them, just as they will draft every other position. It all matters whether these players end up on the Bucs, the Bears, or the Steelers. We write these so Bucs fans can be the most informed fans. So if you are still with us, enjoy our latest Summer Scouting report as we prepare you for the Fall. Player Information Player: Rod Moore School: Michigan Height/Weight: 6-0/198 lbs. Player Background - 4-Star Recruit - Earned All-State Honors in High School - Recorded a 4.38 40-Yard Dash in High School - Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2023 Career Stats Heading into the 2025 Season - 141 Tackles - 3 Tackles for a Loss - 0.5 Sacks - 6 Interceptions - 7 Pass Deflections Notable PFF Numbers Heading into the 2025 Season - 80.7 PFF Run Defense Grade - 71.4 PFF Pass Coverage Grade - Missed Tackle Rate of 9.4% - 30 Defensive Stops Player Traits - Excellent closing speed on receivers once QB locks on - Good ability to square up runners in open field - Good range at the safety position in the run and pass game - Physical tackler who will fight to get ball carrier to the ground - Will fight through blockers to get to the ball Player Summary Rod Moore will be coming off a torn ACL when the season for Michigan kicks off this fall. While he has no 2024 film to watch, his 2023 film shows flashes of a player who can be a difference-maker on defense, regardless of where he is assigned. Moore shows an extensive range to be able to provide support in both the run and pass game, and can square up with the ball carrier when they meet him in the open field. When he makes contact, you see him send runners back, and it reminds them to avoid him. Same when he hits receivers when he shows his closing speed in the passing game. He has some areas to improve, but the foundation is there for a reliable safety player in a deep class.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN grapples with ranking Michigan's Rod Moore for 2025 after ACL injury recovery
Ever since he started getting playing time late in the 2021 season, it became clear that Michigan Wolverines safety Rod Moore was a star in the making. Despite being a three-star recruit, Moore has always played well above his ranking, and he's made huge plays to show for it -- the biggest being the crucial interception at the end of The Game in 2023 to seal the maize and blue's victory over Ohio State. Moore was coerced to return for his senior season, despite having a very good opportunity to go pro after Michigan football won the national championship, but he tore his ACL in spring ball, taking him out for the entire season. Now that he's set to return for his fifth-year, the Wolverines will be relying heavily on his services, his leadership, and his intelligence to help out a mostly unproven safety room entering 2025. Earlier this week, ESPN put out a list of five college football players at each position in an effort to preview that 2026 NFL draft. Rod Moore came in ranked No. 5 among the safeties according to one of the two rankers, but the worldwide leader acknowledged that with his knee injury, it's a bit difficult to figure out just how good he might be this coming season. Toughest player to rank: Moore. The fifth-year senior missed last season after suffering a torn ACL in the spring of 2024. If he can return to his previous level of play (six combined interceptions in 2022-23), that's a huge win for the Michigan defense and could push Moore near the top of the safety class. But scouts are in wait-and-see mode as he returns from injury. Before the injury, Moore was among PFF's top returning safeties in the sport. Of course, he could have some growing pains returning to form after a whole year of not playing football. Besides Moore, junior Brandyn Hillman, sophomore Mason Curtis, senior Jaden Mangham, and others will be in rotation at the safety position in 2025.
